Mobile user devices, such as mobile telephones, mobile telephones that incorporate digital cameras, digital cameras with mobile telephone capabilities and digital cameras without corresponding mobile telephone capabilities, include a variety of features or functions that it may be desirable to control based on the role of a user of such a device and the locale in which the device is being used. For example, with regard to mobile telephones, it may be desirable to control ring volume, call duration, or other features based on the role of a user and the locale in which the device and user are positioned. With regard to digital cameras, in some locales, it may be desirable to control a camera's ability to flash or the duration allowed for recording video clips.
There are a variety of problems associated with controlling features of mobile user devices. One problem is that the user may not know of device usage policies particular to the user's role or the locale in which the device is being used. For example, in a museum, a user may not know the specific areas in which flash photography is permitted or prohibited. In another example, in some social settings, a user may not know whether pictures or mobile phone calls are acceptable.
Another problem associated with controlling features of a mobile user device is that a user may not know how to program the device to implement the policies of the user's role and locale. For example, mobile phones and digital cameras include vast menus of options. The user may not know how to navigate the menus and/or to control the options. In addition, even assuming that the user knows how to control the options of his or her device, the user may forget to reactivate disabled features when the user leaves a particular locale.
In light of these difficulties associated with controlling mobile user devices, methods have been developed for disabling functions of mobile user devices based on locale. For example, transmitters have been placed in restaurants to disable mobile phones. Such devices typically rely on a disable signal being sent to all devices within a particular area. One problem with such devices is that all user devices are treated the same, regardless of the role of the user. For example, in an office environment, it may be desirable to allow customers to make phone calls but to disable mobile communications capabilities for employees. A disabling device that treats all devices the same regardless of the user's role does not allow such exceptions.
Other user device feature control methods require specialized user equipment and action on the part of the user to comply with the policy. For example, one conventional method for controlling digital cameras requires that the camera have a card reader and requires that the user swipe a smart card through the card reader to disable camera features. Requiring specialized equipment and user action to comply with device usage policies decreases the likelihood that compliance will be achieved. Yet another problem with these conventional approaches is that finer grain control than disabling all devices or an entire feature of all devices is needed.
Accordingly, there exists a need for improved methods, systems, and computer program products for role- and locale-based mobile user device feature control.